"The House of Lords is considering key amendments that would limit how new planning permissions can impact protected species like barn owls and otters. Under the proposed changes, housebuilders might be prevented from using broad environmental delivery plans (EDPs) to sidestep specific habitat protections. The debate raises urgent questions about how the Bill balances the drive for new homes with long‑standing legal safeguards for wildlife."
"Amendment 130, backed by Baroness Willis and a coalition of peers, would exclude sensitive natural habitats and species (such as woodland, dunes, otters, and barn owls) from being covered by EDPs - thereby preventing developers from considering them under broad, catch‑all schemes. These amendments aim to strengthen the Planning & Infrastructure Bill's environmental provisions, ensuring that certain species and habitats remain protected regardless of any overarching plan."
Peers are proposing amendments to restrict how environmental delivery plans (EDPs) can be used in planning permissions to protect sensitive species and habitats. Amendment 129 would require EDPs to identify all environmental impacts associated with a development rather than narrowly defined harms. Ministers contend EDPs should be targeted plans addressing specific features. Amendment 130 would explicitly exclude sensitive habitats and species—such as woodland, dunes, otters, and barn owls—from coverage by EDPs to prevent blanket, catch‑all approaches. Conservation groups urge support for the exclusions, warning that omission could reverse long‑standing wildlife protections amid housing pressures.
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